BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3959
	By: Buckley et al. (Perry)
	Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
	5/20/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The COVID-19 pandemic has reportedly had a dramatically negative effect on the youth livestock show industry in Texas. The cancellation of youth livestock shows deprived young Texans of the opportunity to show their animals, as well as much-needed funds and scholarships that would have come from the sale of their animals. This bill seeks to ensure that meaningful opportunities for Texas youth involved in the raising and showing of livestock continue during and after the recovery from the pandemic by providing for the creation of the Texas youth livestock show grant program.

This bill amends the Agriculture Code to require the Office of the Governor to establish and administer the Texas youth livestock show grant program. The bill restricts the use of a grant to providing financial assistance to youth livestock shows in Texas and makes a youth livestock show eligible for a grant if it is part of a county or state youth livestock validation program and has Texas 4-H and Texas FFA engagement or sanction. The bill requires the Office of the Governor to establish grant eligibility requirements and a grant application process and to encourage participation from livestock shows of varying sizes, types of entries, and needs. The bill creates the Texas youth livestock show fund as an account in the general revenue fund administered by the Office of the Governor. The bill sets out the composition of the fund and restricts the use of money therein by the Office of the Governor to providing grants under the grant program and promoting and encouraging donations to the fund, with no more than 10 percent of the money being used for promotion. The bill authorizes the Office of the Governor to accept grants, gifts, or donations from any source that are made for the purposes of the grant program and requires that any such money received be deposited in the fund. The fund also consists of money appropriated by the legislature or received from the federal government.

H.B. 3959 amends current law relating to the establishment of the Texas youth livestock show grant program.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Title 3, Agriculture Code, by adding Chapter 50E, as follows:

CHAPTER 50E. TEXAS YOUTH LIVESTOCK SHOW GRANT PROGRAM

Sec. 50E.001.  TEXAS YOUTH LIVESTOCK SHOW GRANT PROGRAM. (a)� Requires the Office of the Governor to establish and administer the Texas youth livestock show grant program.� Requires the Office of the Governor to:

(1)  establish grant eligibility requirements, subject to Subsection (c);

(2)  establish a grant application process; and

(3)  encourage participation from livestock shows of varying sizes, types of entries, and needs.

(b)  Authorizes grants under this section to be used only to provide financial assistance to youth livestock shows in this state.

(c)  Provides that a youth livestock show is eligible for a grant under this section if the livestock show is part of a county or state youth livestock validation program and has Texas 4-H and Texas FFA engagement or sanction.

Sec. 50E.002.  TEXAS YOUTH LIVESTOCK SHOW FUND.� (a) Provides that the Texas youth livestock show fund is an account in the general revenue fund administered by the Office of the Governor.� Authorizes money in the account to be used only by the Office of the Governor to provide grants under Section 50E.001 and to promote and encourage donations to the fund.� Provides that not more than 10 percent of the money in the account is authorized to be used to promote and encourage donations to the fund.

(b)  Provides that the Texas youth livestock show fund consists of:

(1)  gifts, grants, including federal grants, and other donations received for the fund;

(2)  interest earned on the investment of money in the fund;

(3)  any money appropriated to the fund by the legislature; and

(4)  money received from the federal government that is authorized to be used for a purpose described by Subsection (a) and that is transferred or deposited to the credit of the fund by the legislature.

(c)  Authorizes the Office of the Governor to accept grants, gifts, or donations from any source that are made for the purposes of this chapter. Requires that money received under this subsection be deposited in the Texas youth livestock show fund.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage, or September 1, 2021.